Career and Education Opportunities for Cashiers in Fairfield, California

If you want to be a cashier, the Fairfield, California area offers many opportunities both for education and employment. The national trend for cashiers sees this job pool growing by about 3.5% over the next eight years. In general, cashiers receive and disburse money in establishments other than financial institutions.

A person working as a cashier can expect to earn about $9 per hour or $19,540 yearly on average in California and about $8 per hour or $17,660 per year on average in the U.S. as a whole. Compared with people working in the overall category of Sales and Clerical, people working as cashiers in California earn less. They earn less than people working in the overall category of Sales and Clerical nationally.

The Fairfield area is home to sixteen schools of higher education, including two within twenty-five miles of Fairfield where you can get a degree as a cashier. Cashiers usually hold less than a high school diploma, so it will take only a short time to learn to be a cashier if you already have a high school diploma.

CAREER DESCRIPTION: Cashier

Cashier video from the State of New Jersey Dept. of Labor and Workforce Development

In general, cashiers receive and disburse money in establishments other than financial institutions. They also usually involves use of electronic scanners, cash registers, or related equipment.

Cashiers issue receipts or change due to clients. They also maintain clean and orderly checkout areas. Equally important, cashiers have to establish or identify prices of goods, services or admission, and tabulate bills using calculators or optical price scanners. They are often called upon to receive payment by cash or automatic debits. They are expected to answer clients' questions, and furnish data on procedures or policies. Finally, cashiers count money in cash drawers at the beginning of shifts to insure that amounts are correct and that there is adequate change.

Every day, cashiers are expected to be able to articulate ideas and problems. It is also important that they understand what others are saying to them even in a noisy environment.

It is important for cashiers to cash checks for clients. They are often called upon to issue trading stamps, and redeem food stamps and coupons. They also compile and maintain non-monetary reports and records. They are sometimes expected to sell tickets and other items to clients. Somewhat less frequently, cashiers are also expected to compute and record totals of transactions.

Cashiers sometimes are asked to monitor checkout stations to insure that they have adequate cash available and that they are staffed appropriately. They also have to be able to post charges against guests' or patients' accounts and offer clients carry-out service at the close transactions. And finally, they sometimes have to compile and maintain non-monetary reports and records.

Like many other jobs, cashiers must have exceptional integrity and believe in cooperation and coordination.

Similar jobs with educational opportunities in Fairfield include:

Cage Cashier. Exchange coins and tokens for patrons' money. May issue payoffs and obtain customer's signature on receipt when winnings exceed the amount held in the slot machine. May operate a booth in the slot machine area and furnish change persons with money bank at the start of the shift, or count and audit money in drawers.

Product Demonstrator. Demonstrate merchandise and answer questions for the purpose of creating public interest in buying the product. May sell demonstrated merchandise.

Retail Sales Manager. Directly supervise sales workers in a retail establishment or department. Duties may include management functions, such as purchasing, budgeting, and personnel work, in addition to supervisory duties.

Retail Salesman. Sell merchandise, such as furniture, motor vehicles, or apparel in a retail establishment.

Sales Team Manager. Directly supervise and coordinate activities of sales workers other than retail sales workers. May perform duties, such as budgeting, accounting, and personnel work, in addition to supervisory duties.

Technical Service Representative. Sell goods for wholesalers or manufacturers where technical or scientific knowledge is required in such areas as biology, engineering, and electronics, normally obtained from at least 2 years of post-secondary education.

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES: Cashier Training

Diablo Valley College - Pleasant Hill, CA

Diablo Valley College, 321 Golf Club Rd, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523. Diablo Valley College is a large college located in Pleasant Hill, California. It is a public school with primarily 2-year programs and has 19,768 students. Diablo Valley College has a less than one year program in Retailing and Retail Operations which graduated two students in 2008.

Los Medanos College - Pittsburg, CA

Los Medanos College, 2700 East Leland Road, Pittsburg, CA 94565. Los Medanos College is a medium sized college located in Pittsburg, California. It is a public school with primarily 2-year programs and has 8,360 students. Los Medanos College has a two to four year program in Retailing and Retail Operations.

CERTIFICATIONS

Hospitality Skills Certification for Retail Cashier:
Skill and knowledge training is the responsibility of property management and the participant.

National Professional Certification in Sales:
The Certification was designed to capture the core Sales duties for a broad range of entry-level through first-line supervisory positions across the sales and service industries.

LOCATION INFORMATION: Fairfield, California

Fairfield, California photo by Ryanloney

Fairfield is located in Solano County, California. It has a population of over 103,683, which has grown by 7.8% over the last ten years. The cost of living index in Fairfield, 143, is far greater than the national average. New single-family homes in Fairfield are valued at $197,000 on average, which is far less than the state average. In 2008, thirty-four new homes were constructed in Fairfield, down from one hundred eighty the previous year.

The top three industries for women in Fairfield are health care, educational services, and public administration. For men, it is construction, public administration, and health care. The average travel time to work is about 30 minutes. More than 20.4% of Fairfield residents have a bachelor's degree, which is lower than the state average. The percentage of residents with a graduate degree, 6.1%, is lower than the state average.

The unemployment rate in Fairfield is 13.1%, which is greater than California's average of 12.3%.

The percentage of Fairfield residents that are affiliated with a religious congregation, 37.4%, is less than both the national and state average. The largest religious groups are the Catholic Church, the American Baptist Churches in the USA and the Southern Baptist Convention.

Fairfield is home to the Fairfield City Hall and the Dickson Hill Water Treatment Plant as well as Tabor Park and Sunrise Park. Shopping malls in the area include Geri Towne Shopping Center, Mission Village Shopping Center and Solano Mall Shopping Center.